Impeller constructions



D 15, 19 4 A. H. ANDERSEN IMPELLER CONSTRUCTIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 4 iFzo m zs Q22 Andreas l-tnmk l l n en 1 ATTORNZ D 15, 19 4 A. H. ANDERSEN IMPELLER CONSTRUCTIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 Dec. 15; 1964 ANDERSEN 3,161,239

IMPELLER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Jan. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Andreas r ll/211i Ax/1 2 3 5 0 5%:ww i. i

A TTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice 3, l 6 1,239 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 123M123 Ill WELLER CGNSTRUQTEQNS Andreas Harold Andersen, San Augusti, Malorca, Spain; Finn Sigurd Andersen, heir of said Andreas Harold Andersen, deceased, assignor to F. S}. Andersen, Ingeniyir- 2 Masirinforremiug 1/1 (Iharlottenluud, Beumarlr, a company of Denmark Filed Elan. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 252,378 39 Claims. (83!. lid- 173) This application is a continuation-impart of my abandoned application Serial No. 755,904, filed August 19, 1958.

This invention relates to an impeller wheel comprising a hub having an axis of rotation and a plurality of blades (two or more) mounted in said hub, which impeller wheel is adapted either to be rotated by power for producing a flow of fluid medium such as a current of air or for propelling any movable body on which the impeller is mounted by pressure of the rotated blades against the fluid medium, or to be rotated by a fluid flow against its blades as in fluid meters and windmills.

It is known to provide impeller wheels with blades fastened between annular members which together form a hub, but in all such known impeller wheels each size of impeller wheel demands special blades and it is not possible to use the same blades for different sizes of impeller wheels.

An object of the invention is to provide impeller wheels such that the same blades may be used in different sizes of impeller wheels, independently of the diameter of the wheel and independently of the number of blades to be used in the impeller wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide impeller wheels provided with a simple hub in which different numbers of blades can be mounted, so that the same hub can. be used independently of the number of blades to be mounted in the hub.

A further object of the invention is to provide an impeller wheel in which the blades are quickly and easily attachable and detachable to and from the hub and are interchangeable, so that a damaged blade or damaged blades can be replaced without difficulty.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an impeller wheel in which the number of blades can be changed quickly and easily and the blades rearranged in such a manner that the impeller wheel remains in balance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an impeller wheel provided with a hub comprising two discs between which different numbers of blades can be arranged and secured by said two discs being urged towards each other and so that independent of whether the blades are arranged closely to each other or in distance from each other they are by simple means prevented from being peripherically displaced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a fan Wheel embodying the present invention, but having a hub disc removed,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the fan wheel shown in FIG. 1 taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a fan blade used in the fan wheel shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIGS. 4 and 5 bottom plan Views similar to FIG. 3 of two further embodiments of a fan blade,

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration showing how the same blade can be used in connection with hubs of different diameters,

FIGS. 7 to 9 are cross sections through three diiferent embodiments of proiections on a blade,

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the inner side of an embodirncnt of a hub disc to be used in an impeller wheel embodying the present invention,

FIG. ll is a longitudinal sectional view of a fan wheel hub including the hub disc shown in FIG. 8,

F163. 12 to 14 are plan views similar to FIG. 8 of three further embodiments of a hub disc,

FIG. i5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fan Wheel hub including the hub disc shown in PKG. l4, and

FIG. 16 is similar view of still another embodiment of an impeller Wheel embodying the invention.

The fan wheel shown in *IGS. 1 to 3 is arranged on a shaft and comprises a hub 12 and three blades or vanes 14. Each blade 14 is provided with a foot portion 16 shaped as a substantially rectangular block having parallel side faces 13 and sloping end faces ill, see FIG. 3, having their greatest distance at the outer side of the foot portion 16. liefcrably each end face 24) forms an angle of about with the upper side of the foot portion 16.

Each side face 219 is provided with two projections 22 which in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are cyindrical with circular cross sections and include active portions for engagement with groove 44. Each projection 22 on the one side face it; is coaxial to the corresponding projection 22 on the other side face 18.

The hub 12 comprises two discs 24 and 2s. The disc 24- is at its center provided with a sleeve portion 28 extending to one side of the disc and on the other side with a short cylindrical projection 39. A bore 32 through said sleeve portion 28 and said projection 30 receives the shaft 16. The other disc as which is removed in FIG. 1, is provided with a center opening 34- by means of which it is guided on the projection 30. The two discs 24 and 26 can be urged towards each other by means of three bolts 3t? with nuts 38. One such bolt is shown in FIG. 2.

Each of the two discs 24 and 26 is provided with an annular peripheral portion ill having a plane inner face 22 facing the opposite disc and provided with an annular groove 44 coaxial to the axis of rotation 46 of the hub 12, which includes an active guide portion to guide the active portions of, e.g. projections 22. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 each groove 44 has a substantially rectangular cross section although the side faces of the grooves may slope a little. The width of the groove 44 is substantially equal to the diameter of the blade projections 22, the depth of the groove 44 is greater than the length of the projections 22.

The foot portions 16 of the blades M- are arranged between the pcriphcrical disc portions 4-43 with their projections 22 engaging the grooves 44. When the two discs 24 and 2e are urged towards each other by means of the bolts 3d and the nuts 33 the blade foot portions 16 will be firmly clamped between the plane inner faces 42 of the peripherical disc portions id and simultaneously the pr0- iections 22 engage the grooves 44 so that the blades 14 cannot rock.

In most cases the clamping effect obtained in this manto positively prevent a peripherical displacement of a blade, in case the blades are arranged in distance from each other, as is the case in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an intermediate member 48 shaped in the same manner as the blade foot portions 16 and provided with projections 5t corresponding to the projections 22 in FIG. 1.

.may be arranged between the foot portions 16 as shown From FIG. 1 it appears that although three blades are I shown in this figure, the hub 12 maybe provided with from two to six blades 14 secured to the hub 12 by the 'two discs 24 and 26'thereof being urged together.

Insteadof with the cylindrical projections 22 shown in FIG. 3, the foot portions and the intermediate members 48 may be'provided with for example hemispherical projections 122 as' shown in FIG. 4, or conical projections 222 as shown in FIG. 5.

A great advantage obtained by an impeller wheel con-' struction as described consists therein that the same.

blades may be used for hubs of diiferent diameters. This appears from the diagram shown in FIG. 6 indicating a blade 'foot portion 16 with two side projections 22, and three grooves 52, 54 and 56 corresponding to the grooves 44 of discs 24 and 26 of FIG. 2,'all'having a width substantially equal to the diameter of the projections 22, but corresponding to wheelshaving different axes of rotation 52A, 54A and 56A respectively. It appears from FIG. 6 that the two projections 22 can engage all three grooves 52, 54 and 56 and thereby retain the blade in position on each of the corresponding hubs. It also appears that for obtaining this advantage, it is necessary that each of all cross sections through the active portion of each projection 22in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation is limited outwardly and inwardly by two concentric circular arcs so that the contact points between each cross rotation corresponding to the groove in question through the common center of the two circular arcs and thereby, the distance between said two contact points always will be the same independent of the position of the axis of rotation relative to the blade foot portion 16.

On the otherhand, it is not necessary that the projections 22, 122, 222 or 322 have circular cross sections as shown in FIG. 1, other cross sections limited by concentric circular arcs, for example such shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, may also be used. The cross sections shown in FIGS. 7 and'8 are outwardly and inwardly limited by circular arcs having the same radii whereas FIG. 9 shows an example of a cross section of a projection limited by concentric circular arcs having difierent radii. It has to be stated, however, that in most cases it is most appropriate to use circular cross sections of the projections 22, 122, 222 or 322.

FIGS. 1 and 2 taken together with FIG. 6 also show that it is strictly necessary that the one side face of the blade foot portion 16 is provided with two and only with projections 22 or 322, whereas'one projection only is absolutely'necessary on the other side of the foot portion, although two projections are most appropriate also on this side face. More than two projections must, however, not be used on this side either.

Further, as appears from FIGS. 1 to 3, it is most advantageous that in case on the one side face of the foot portion 16 only one projection 22 is provided, this pro- "jection 22 is coaxial to one of the two projections on the I projection 22 on the one side face is coaxial to a corresponding projection on the'other side face. This assures .that the annular. portions 40 of the twodiscs 24 and 26 -nular groove. same size as the disc 24 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and thus discs 24 and26 are provided, with. uninterrupted grooves 44, FIG. 10 shows a hub disc 424 corresponding to the disc 24, but having its peripherical portion 440 provided with a number of groove portions 444 separated by ribs 460, but theoretically forming portions of the same an- The disc 424 shown in FIG. 10 is of the at the highest six blades 14 can be arranged in the correblades 14 will be situated close to each other. The disc 424 is provided with twelve uniform groove portions 444 and the corresponding twelve ribs 460 are so arranged and have such a thickness that when, as indicated with dotted lines, a blade foot portion 16 is arranged on the disc 424 with its one projection 22 engaging one of the groove portions 444 having its side nearest the one end face 20 contacting therib 460 at one end of said groove portion 444, the other projection 22 on the same sideface 18 of the foot portion 16 has its side nearest the other end face of the foot portion 16 contacting or at least lying close to the rib 460 at the opposite end of the neighbouring groove portion 444. Thus a blade 14 arranged in a hub comprising said disc 424 cannot'be peripherically displaced even not if the number of blades is less than six. Thus, by this embodiment intermediate members corresponding to the members 48 shown in FIG. 2 are quite section of a projection 22 and the side'faces of the groove -in question will always lie on a radius from the axis of It has to be pointed out that in case only one of the two discs 424 and426- comprised by the hub is provided with groove portions 444 whereas the other is provided with an uninterrupted groove it is of no importance which of said two discs it is that is provided with groove sections. Y

FIG. 11 showsthat it is not necessary that the annular groove or the corresponding groove sections 444 have rectangular cross sections as shown in FIG.. 2. On the contrary other shapes of the cross sections of the groove are'possible. Thus FIG. 11 shows as an example grooves or groove portions 444 having an U-shaped cross section.

Such a groove or groove section can cooperate with many different shapes of the projections 22, but most appropriate the blade foot sections 16 should :in that case be provided with hemispherical projections 122 as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 12 shows a hub disc 524 having a diameter essentially greater than the diameter of the discs 24 and 424 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 10 and 11. This hub disc 524 is provided with twelve uniform groove portions 544 theoretically formingportions of the same annular groove and mutually separated by means of ribs 560. At the highest=twelve blades 14 can be arranged in a hub'comprising this disc 624, but as appears from the two neighbour bladefoot portions 16'indicated by dotted lines, even if twelve blades are arranged in such a, hub there will. bea

distance between the foot portions 16 of the blades.

Correspondingly the ribs 560 have a greater width than the ribs-460 shown in FIG. 10. Each' groove portion544 a disc 524 or a like disc the blades are prevented from peripherical displacements.

In a hub comprising this disc 524 or a like disc it is possible to arrange either two, three, four, six or twelve blades 14 equally spaced. Further it is possible to pro vide such a hub with eight, nine, or ten blades and nevertheless obtain a balanced impeller wheel. Thus eight blades can be arranged as four equally spaced pairs of blades, nine blades as three equally spaced groups each comprising three blades, and ten blades as two symmetrically arranged groups each comprising five blades.

FIG. 13 shows a hub disc 624 corresponding to the disc 524 shown in FIG. 12 and only differing therefrom thereby that each of the groove portions 544 of the disc 524 in the disc 624 is divided into two equal groove portions 644 separated by a rib 660 equal to the ribs 5&0 of the disc 524. Thus the disc 624 is provided with twenty-four uniform groove portions 644 separated by twenty-four uniform ribs 665i.

In a hub comprising this disc 624 either two, three, four, six, eight or twelve blades 14 can be arranged equally spaced, and further nine and ten blades 14 can be arranged in equally spaced groups each comprising three or five blades, respectively.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show the hub of an impeller wheel adapted to be provided with exactly thirteen blades 14. This Wheel comprises two hub discs 724 and 726 corresponding to the discs 24 and 26 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The two discs 724 and 726 are in their peripheral portions 749 provided with thirteen groove portions 744- spaced by ribs 760 as it appears from FIG. 14 showing the disc 724. In this embodiment the ribs 76% have a width corresponding to the distance between the two projections 22 of the foot portion 16 of the blades 14. A single such foot portion 16 is indicated by dotted lines, and it appears herefrom that in this embodiment the blades have to be so arranged that the two projections 22 engage one of two neighbouring groove portions 744 each, both contacting or at least lying close to the rib 760 separating the last said two groove portions 744.

As shown in FIG. 15 in connection with the disc 724, when a hub disc is provided with groove portions instead of with an uninterrupted annular groove, it is not necessary that the groove portions 744 are provided with hottoms, they may be constituted by through openings.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2, 11 and 15 the one hub disc 26, 426 or 726 respectively is carried and guided by the other hub disc 24, 424 or 724 respectively. FIG. 16 shows an embodiment by which the hub 812 comprises two independent discs 824 and 326 each having an annular peripheral portion 844) provided with an annular groove 844 which can be uninterrupted or con sist of a number of groove portions and which grooves are engaged by the projections 22 of the blade foot portions 16. Each disc 824 and 826 is provided with a center opening 870 and 872 respectively for receiving the shaft 810 on which the hub has to be arranged. The two discs 824 and 326 are held in distance from each other by the blade foot portions 22 and are urged towards each other by means of bolts 836 with appertaining nuts 138.

As appears from above, the main advantage of the new impeller wheel construction is that the same blades or at least blades provided with uniform foot portions can be used in connection with many different sizes of impeller wheels and independent of the number of blades on the wheel.

Hereby a further advantage may be obtained. The blades may be made from many different materials, for example from metal or from a plastic. When made from a moldable material such as for example plastic, the mold may consist of two detachable parts, one containing the mold cavity for the foot portion, and the other the mold cavity for the blade itself. Thus each mold part containing the cavity for the foot portion can be connected to a number of different form parts provided with cavities for different forms or sizes of blades, whereby the mold expenses can be held low.

It will be ascertained from the foregoing that the new impeller wheel construction is of simple character and may be manufactureed economically by customary pro cedure, and that the parts may be assembled in a very simple manner.

Whereas the description and accompanying drawings have described and shown some typical embodiments of the present invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In an impeller construction the combination which comprises: a hub having an axis of rotation, a plurality of blades mounted in said hub, said hub comprising a first and second disc arranged opposite each other, each said disc having an annular peripheral portion provided with an annular groove coaxial to said axis of rotation and open towards the opposite of said two discs, each said blade having a foot portion arranged between said two annular portions, said foot portion having a first side face facing said annular portion of said first disc, said first side face being provided with exactly two separate projections both engaging said groove of said first disc, said foot portion having a second side face facing said annular portion of said second disc, said second side face being provided with one projection engaging said groove of said second disc, each said projection having all cross sections in planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation outwardly and inwardly limited by concentric circular arcs, and means interconnecting said two discs for urging them towards each other.

2. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 1, at least two of said foot portions defining between them a gap, an intermediate member being arranged in said gap, said intermediate member having two side faces each facing one of said two annular portions, each said side face being provided with a projection engaging one of said two grooves each, each last said projection having all cross sections in planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation outwardly and inwardly limited by concentric circular arcs.

3. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 2, at least one of said two side faces of said intermediate member being provided with two and only with two projections.

4. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 1, each said foot portion having sloping end faces having tieir greatest distance at the outer side of said foot portion.

5. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 1, each said projection being cylindrical.

6. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 1, each said projection being formed as a spherical segment.

7. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 1, transverse ribs dividing said annular groove of at least one of said two discs into sections.

8. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 7, said annular portion of last said disc having an inner face, said ribs having outer faces disposed in the same plane as said inner face, said ribs dividing last said groove into a plurality of mutually separated groove sections.

9. In an impeller construction the combination which comprises: a hub having an axis of rotation, a plurality of blades mounted in said hub, said hub comprising a first and a second disc arranged opposite each other, each said disc having an annular rim having an inner face, said two inner faces facing each other, each said inner face being provided with groove portions open towards the opposite of said two discs, each said groove portion having an outer side wall and an inner side wall, all said outer side walls constituting portions of the same first surface of rotation coaxial to said axis of rotation, all said inner sidewalls constituting portions vof the same second surface of rotation coaxial to said'axis of rotation, eachsaid blade having a footportion arranged between said two annular rims, said foot portionhaving a first side face facing said inner rim face planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation beingout wardly and inwardly limited by concentric circular arcs, and means interconnecting said two discs for urging them towards each other.

10. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 9, said groove portions of at least one of said two discs constituting together an uninterrupted annular groove.

11. An impeller construction as defined in claim -9, at least said groove portions of said first disc being separated by means of ribs.

12. An impeller construction as defined in claim 11,

wherein said projections on said first side face areeach arranged close to one of said ribs.

13. An impeller construction as defined in claim 9,

wherein the projection on said second side face is" ar-' ranged exactly opposite one of said two projections on saidfirst side face. r

14. An impeller construction as defined in claim '9, wherein all said active portions of said projections are uniform bodies of rotation each having a center axis, the activeportion of the projection on the second side face having the same center axis as the active portion of one of the two projections on said firstside'face.

of said first disc, said firstside face being provided'with jections.

axis of rotation outwardly and inwardly limited by concentric circular arcs. I 18. In an impeller constructionas definedin claim 17,

at least one of said two side faces of said intermediate member being provided with two and only with two pro- 19. In an impeller construction. as defined in claim 16, each said foot portion'having sloping end faces having their-greatest distance at the outer side of said foot portion. i 20. In an-impeller construction as defined in claim 16, each said projection being cylindrical.

21. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 16, each said projection being formed as a spherical segment.

22. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 16, transverse ribs dividing said annular groove of at least one ,of said two discs into sections.

23. In an impeller construction as defined in claim 22,

said annular portion of last said disc having aninner face, said ribs having outer faces disposed in the same plane as said inner face, said ribs dividing last said groove intoa plurality -of mutually separated groove sections.

15. In an impeller construction as defined in 'claim -9,

16."In an impeller construction the combination which comprises: a hub having an axis of rotation, a plurality of blades .mounted in said hub, said hub comprising a first and Ya second disc arranged opposite eachv other,

each said disc having an annular peripheral portion provided with an annular groove coaxial to said axis of rotation and open towards the opposite of said two discs, 7 each said blade having a foot portion arranged between said two annular portions, said foot portion .having a first .side face facing said annular portion of saidfirst disc, said first side face being provided with exactly two separate projections both engaging said groove of said first disc, said foot portion having a second side face facing said annular portion of said second disc, said second side face being provided with two projections engagingsaid groove of said second disc,.each said projection having all cross sections in planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation outwardly and inwardly limited by concentric circular arcs, and means interconnecting said two discs for urging them towards each other.

17. In an impeller. construction as defined in claim 16, at :least two of said foot portions defining-between them a gap, an intermediate member being arranged in said gap, said intermediate member having two side faces 1. each facing one of said two annular portions, each said side face being provided with a projection engaging one of said two grooves each, each last said projection having all cross sections in planes perpendicular to said 24. In an impeller construction the combination which comprises: a hub having an axis of rotation, a plurality of bladesmounted in said hub, said hub comprisinga first and a second discarranged opposite each other, each said 'disc having an annular rim having an inner face, said two inner faces facing each other, each said inner face being provided with groove portions open to- Wards the opposite of said two discs, each said groove portion having an outer side wall and an inner side wall, all said outer side walls constituting portions'of the same first surface of rotation coaxial to said axis of-rotation, all said inner side walls constituting portions of the same second surface of rotation coaxial to said axis .of rotation, each said blade having a foot portion arranged between said two annular rims, said foot portion having a first side face facing said inner rim face of said first disc, said first side face being provided with exactly two separate projections both engaging at least one of said groove portions of said first'disc, said foot portion having a second side facefacingsaid rim inner face of said second disc, said second side face being provided with two projections engaging at least one of said groove portions of said second disc, each said projection having an active portion, allcross sections in planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation being outwardly andinwardly limited by concentriccircular arcs, and means interconnectingsaid twodiscs for urging them towards each other.

25. An impeller construction as defined in claim 24, said groove portions of at least one of said two discs constituting together an uninterrupted annular groove.

26. In an-impeller construction as defined in claim 24, at least said groove portions of said first disc being separated by means of ribs.

27. An impeller construction as defined in claim 26, wherein said projections on said first side face are each arranged close to one of said ribs.

28. An impeller construction as defined in claim 24, wherein each said projection on said second side face is arranged exactly opposite one of said two projections on said first side face.

29. An impeller construction as defined in claim 24, wherein all said active portions of said, projections are uniform bodies of rotation each having a center axis, the active portion of each projection on the second side face having the same center axis. as the active portion of one of the two projections on said first side face.

30. Inan impeller construction as defined in claim 24, the active portion of each projection having a center line passing through the centers of said circular ,arcs, and having a longitudinal cross section inv a plane through A 5) said center axis and said axis of rotation, each said groove portion having a radial cross section including an active guide portion cooperating with the active portions of said projections, each active guide portion conforming to the longitudinal cross sections of the active portions of said projections.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,929 12/11 Loetzer 170-173 1 3 1,634,329 7/27 Malm 170173 2,507,804 5/50 Minnis 170-16023 FOREIGN PATENTS 117,763 11/43 Australia. 1,198,437 6/59 France.

JULIUS E. WEST, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN IMPELLER CONSTRUCTION THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: A HUB HAVING AN AXIS OF ROTATION, A PLURALITY OF BLADES MOUNTED IN SAID HUB, SAID HUB COMPRISING A FIRST AND SECOND DISC ARRANGED OPPOSITE EACH OTHER, EACH SAID DISC HAVING AN ANNULAR PERIPHERAL PORTION PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE COAXIAL TO SAID AXIS OF ROTATION AND OPEN TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE OF SAID TWO DISCS, EACH SAID BLADE HAVING A FOOT PORTION ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID TWO ANNULAR PORTIONS, SAID FOOT PORTION HAVING A FIRST SIDE FACE FACING SAID ANNULAR PORTION OF SAID FIRST DISC, SAID FIRST SIDE FACE BEING PROVIDED WITH EXACTLY TWO SEPARATE PROJECTIONS BOTH ENGAGING SAID GROOVE OF SAID FIRST DISC, SAID FOOT PORTION HAVING A SECOND SIDE FACE FACING SAID ANNULAR PORTION OF SAID SECOND DISC, SAID SECOND SIDE FACE BEING PROVIDED WITH ONE PROJECTION ENGAGING SAID GROOVE OF SAID SECOND DISC, EACH SAID PROJECTION HAVING ALL CROSS SECTIONS IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS OF ROTATION OUTWARDLY AND INWARDLY LIMITED BY CONCENTRIC CIRCULAR ARCS, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID TWO DISCS FOR URGING THEM TOWARDS EACH OTHER. 